Monday, 2 March 2015

So a little shopping spree recently (haul to come) resulted in a couple of repurchases as well. There's always a few products I end up loving so much I either can't live with without, or are constantly on my to buy again list after usage.

Both the Soap & Glory Kick Ass blur and brighten concealer crayon and the Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream are products that made the basket.

The Soap & Glory Kick Ass blur and brighten concealer crayon is essentially a creamy twist up concealer crayon. The formula is extremely creamy and perfect for covering both blemishes and any dark circles. It applies with ease blending in a second. It even lasts all day, what more could a girl ask for in a concealer? I would even go as far as saying it is a near dupe to the NARS radiant creamy concealer for both coverage and formula; they just have different application methods. It also costs a bargain £6 from Boots.

Up next is of course the Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream, a favourite of mine on and off throughout last summer. I again love how easy this product is to apply. The formula is creamy and blends with ease whilst lasting all day too. I love using this in the mornings as I can skip a primer with this Boujois CC cream and know it will still be on my face by the time I have finished work. This one costs £9.99 from Boots or Superdrug.

Overall they are two products that I love and I am so glad to have back in my hands again. To see a full review of the Soap & Glory Kick Ass concealer crayon click here, or for a full review of the Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream click here.

What products can't you live without? I'd love to hear which products I need to add to my wishlist.

Saturday, 28 February 2015

I'm always on the look out for any different beauty methods, and ways to make my beauty routine easier for those lazy days or rushed mistakes. That said I have compiled a list of seven of my top beauty hacks.

1) Cotton buds! - Essential for any beauty lover; they are perfect for keeping your makeup neat. Any mascara smudges? These are you best friends. Smaller enough to not disturb the rest of your makeup, but large enough to fix any mistakes.

2) Mixing your foundations - Have you ever purchased a foundation slightly too dark for you or is your tanned self shade? I know I have, but all you need to do is purchase a foundation lighter than your regular skintone and Bob's your uncle! And the best part of this little hack is; that it doesn't have to be the same brand so one lighter foundation will work for several.

3) Always apply your concealer in a V shape - This is something I heard a long time ago and thought nothing of it, believing it couldn't make a difference. Now however, there is no other way I would apply my concealer. It really works at brightening those circles allowing you to fake those late nights and early mornings with ease.

4) Dip your painted nails in cold water - Ever get annoyed with waiting for you nails to dry? Well now you won't with this beauty hack. Simply dip them in some near ice cold water straight after painting, and this will help the paint to solidify much quicker. No more waiting around worried your nails might smudge!

5) Contour a backwards three - So, bronzing and trying to fake those cheek bones can be a tricky one, well not anymore. Simply draw a backwards three on either side of your face from the top of your forehead to under your cheekbones to towards the bottom of your face then blend! I find this method always leaves my face perfectly sculpted.

6) Fake your cupids bow with lip liner - Now this is one of my favourites and newly discovered beauty hacks. All you need to do is use a lip liner which matches your lipstick and do a small cross where your cupids bow is and then use your lipstick on top. This helps provide your lips with the definition and shape to create a perfectly defined cupids bow.

7) Draw your eyeliner cat flicks - Do you struggle to get the perfect eyeliner cat flicks? If you draw an outline first then fill it in you will end up with those perfect cat flicks and you won't struggle at all. You can even draw where you want the line to be across the lids for an even more perfected eyeliner cat flick.

So there you have it, my top seven beauty hacks for you! Have you tried any of these tricks or have your own favourite beauty hacks? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

With so many beauty launches at the moment there's so many products I would love to try. Saying that I thought I would create a beauty wishlist sharing my most wished for beauty products of the moment.

So there was the NARS Multiples and the Tarte Sculptor and now Clinique have released their own version; the Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour. I've wanted this since the moment I saw it. A crayon that's also rounded to fit perfectly under my cheek bones, this looks like the new bronzer for me. (And a little secret, I had a phone call from Boots today to say they have one back in stock reserved for me so this will be in my hands shortly).

I have um'd and ah'd about these since their release, and then saw it in action on a YouTube video and decided they had to be mine. I haven't decided on shade, but this is definitely a product hight on my wishlist.

3. Smashbox Primer Water

I haven't tried a Smashbox Primer in a good while not but remember they used to be good, and love how easy this product could make my life. Imagine a quick spray on those busy mornings and your base is ready to go and last. I really want to see if this does make my makeup last longer, can it really be as good as it sounds?

This was on my last wishlist and I thought about skipping it but then remembered how much I want this in my hands. Every time I see it pop up on a blog my heart skips a beat in awe. I only haven't purchased due to the extremely high price but it's my birthday this month so maybe I'll give in and treat myself.

I love NARS as a brand and every product I've tried. The Sheer Glow foundation is amazing but this one sounds lighter and perfect for every day where. My favourite foundations are always the ones I can't feel but last well so I believe this is definitely worth a try. And... it has a pump! Go NARS.

Ahh, a facial cleansing brush. I've always loved the idea of the Clarisonic facial cleansing brush but I am unsure as to whether I would keep up the usage. This is a cheaper variation that I have seen a few great reviews of recently. It also comes in a choice of colours so of course that naturally meant it had to make my wishlist.

When I first heard about the release of these new brushes by Real Techniques I fell in love with the design, especially the rose gold ones. Out of all of the new brushes the flat contour is the one I would love to own the most.

So, that's my current beauty wishlist for February. I'm sorry it consists of mostly high-end products, I might do a high-street beauty wishlist if that's something you would like to see?

Sunday, 22 February 2015

Leading on from my previous post on Southampton Yates new BBQ menu todays post is based on their amazing new cocktails. They kindly offered me a chance to try some of their cocktails and today I thought I would share some of these with you.

First up I decided to try this gorgeous-looking cocktail literally because it looks so pretty and I am a girl so you know haha. It is aptly name the Jelly Baby, consisting of Vodka, Archers, Malibu, blue Curacao, grenadine, pineapple juice and of course a jelly baby to finish it off.

This was actually my favourite of the four I had. The only way I can describe the taste of the cocktail is icing cake mix and not the sickly kind either. This is one cocktail I think I could happily drink forever.

Next up is one I'm sure you have all heard of before; a Long Island Ice Tea. Extremely alcoholic yet surprisingly delicious, and there was me thinking Long Island Ice Teas don't taste very good. I thought it kind of tasted like the Haribo Cola bottles, definitely a good taste.

It contains 3-year-old Rum, Vodka, Gordon's Gin, Cointreau and Olmeca Tequila. This is then shaken with sweet and sour mix, and topped with Coca-Cola. Have you tried a Long Island Ice Tea before?

Another famous cocktail was up next, one of my personal all-time favourites; Sex on the Beach. It is made from Vodka, Archers, orange juice and cranberry juice. These are all then well shaken, mixed together and poured into your cup.

I don't know how to describe this one other than it tastes how it's supposed to. I guess slightly fruity with a slightly sharper edge would be the best way. Either way it was another yey from me, and I love the additional lemon slice added to the side.

Lastly I went for the Pornstar Martini, an extremely posh sounding cocktail, with a shot of Prosecco to make you actually feel posh too.

This cocktail is made from Absolut Vanilla Vodka and Passoa liqueur mixed in with Funkin passion fruit puree and sugar syrup. Passionfruit is one of my favourite fruit juices and flavours to mix with alcohol and this one definitely lived up to tasting amazing. I would describe the taste itself as very similar to passionfruit, just with a zesty spice tang. It is definitely a cocktail worth trying.

As to the added Prosecco, that's the only thing I've never got about cocktails, is getting an additional shot alongside a cocktail. I didn't notice it making a difference to my cocktail but it sure did make me feel posher for a moment or too.

Overall, I was really impressed with my visit to Yates. These cocktails all tasted really good if you hadn't guessed already. I believe this alongside the BBQ menu I recently reviewed have allowed Yates to really up their game. The food and the cocktails all tasted lush, with the Jelly Baby cocktail being one I am sure I will be going back for regularly.

Friday, 20 February 2015

Ghost was always the brand that created my favourite perfume throughout my teenage years; Cherish, but I had never tried any of their other perfumes until recently.

I was wondering around Boots as you do and spotted the Ghost Eclipse perfume gift set in the Christmas sale and couldn't resist. I remember when this was released and everyone kept talking about it, but I never got round to it myself.

Anyway the Ghost Eclipse perfume gift set includes a 30ml EDT and a 30ml body lotion. The scent is described as smelling of a "tangling explosion of fruit notes" to "set the senses alert." It also has a "romantic heart of freesia, lotus flower and soft rose."

I always find it hard to describe a scent, however I actually believe how it is describe is pretty accurate to how Ghost Eclipse smells. I would describe it as having an unusual fruity scent with definite evidence of feminine flowers creating a more girly scent. As the scent dies down it reminds me of holidays and hot summer days.

I love the scent and how different it is to the usual scents you generally find amongst perfumes. I have been wearing it testing it out but believe it is a scent perfect for the Spring and Summer.

Overall, I am so glad I picked this product up - it is definitely a product I suggest you checkout. You can buy the perfume itself for £24.50 from Boots.

Is this a perfume you've tried before? What is your favourite perfume for Spring/Summer?

Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Blog post ideas are one of my favourites to read; they always trigger ideas on what I could do my latest post on. This on my mind I thought I would do my take, giving you 28 of my blog post ideas, 28 because there's 28 days in Feburary so an idea a day for you.

1. Mid-week favourite - one item, what have you used the most and why? Perhaps a mini review would be beneficial to your readers.

2. Brand focus - what's your favourite products from a particular brand? What products to you think are their best ones?

3. Category favourites - this could work for anything from beauty favourites like foundation favourites to stationery favourites to shoe favourites.

4. Beauty area - where do you put on your makeup, and why it works for you?

5. Blogging area - who doesn't like to be nosey on where individuals work? Whether it's from what laptop you use to how you display products for photos, we all like a little nosey.

6. Blogging love - whose your favourite bloggers? Love these posts, and a perfect way for your readers to discover new blogs.

7. Beauty hacks - what unexpected tips do you have? Have you found anything in particular that's unique such as using cottons buds to fix any mascara smudges?

8. iPad/Android tablet apps - another nosey post, what apps can't you live without? You could also do category focuses such as your favourite blog apps.

9. Cocktail recipes - what's your favourite cocktail? Is it something different to the usual found in cocktail bars?

10. Advice tips to younger self - e.g. what do you wish you could have told your 16 year old self with regards to beauty?

11. Product review - using photo's and text to explain your opinion on a product, does it live up to its claims?

12. OOTD - Outfit of the day, name says it all for this one.

13. Favourite five/ten pictures from the month - a unique way to share your month with your readers. It allows them to find out more about you.

14. Beauty repurchases - what products are there no way you could live without?

15. Theme wishlists/posts - perhaps a colour theme, what clothes/items do you wish you could have within that theme.

16. Hobby post - tell us more about yourself, what do you love doing besides blogging?

17. Bad beauty habits - what do you do you know you shouldn't really?

18. How to's - whether it's a recipe to how to style your hair, these are always interesting posts to read and find. I'm sure they're good for new people searching through search engines too.

19. Blog planning - how do your organise your blog, do you schedule posts? Do you use a calendar to post them?

20. HTML tips - through editing my layout recently I've started to develop my HTML tips further meaning I've been googling. If you know about HTML why not share what you know to help others?

21. Room/House tours - show people where you live if you're comfortable with this, I'm sure people would love to see.

22. Monthly favourites - similar to mid-week favourite, just a wider selection of products. What have been your all-time favourite products for the month?

23. Top 10 places you would like to visit - is travelling your thing or something you want to do? Why not tell us more?

24. A limited budget beauty haul - what can you get within a price limit to create a full look?

Monday, 16 February 2015

*Sleep is extremely important to a beauty reigme and upon being sent this via email the other day I had to share it and share my own personal thoughts and favourite from the poster.

The poster itself essentially shares tips and truths behind everything to do with going to sleep. The first section shares basic tips and truths that will ensure you and your body gets a good nights sleep ranging from ensuring you change your pillows and bed sheets on a regular basis to whether wearing a bra to bed is a good thing.

The truth behind wearing a bra to bed was the one that surprised me the most; as long as the bra fits correctly it's perfectly fine to wear your bra to bed without causing any long-term problems. Still I can't see myself doing that, I walk through the door and that's it for my bra for the evening haha.

The second section is where it gets interesting with more tips and truths you may not neccessarily think of. Do you love lighting candles? Turns out they really do effect your body and can actually help decrease blood pressure and lower skin temperature. (Lights candle).

The other point I found interesting was the bed positioning. I've always preferred having mine in the center of the room whereas according to Feng Shui the best position is actually in a corner diagonally oppisite the door. Who knew?